Wae Fishing Harbour

 

March 21st, 2021, though technically the Spring Equinox, a winter storm had just passed through so the sea was choppier than usual, but the skies mostly blue.

This was the fifth leg of my deep exploration of the Sea of Japan coast, trying to visit every cove and inlet possible, starting at the mouth of the Gonokawa River in Gotsu and heading east.

I started the day at Isotake station my first stop was the sacred cave of Shizunoiwa and now passed a rocky headland.

Looking back down the coast in the distance was Isotake and its harbour, site of another myth.

I believe these are Japanese cormorants, sometimes known as Temminck's Cormorant, and native to East Asian coasts. They are the species that have been domesticated to fish for Ayu in rivers in the tradition known as ukai.

The Sea of Japan Coast is really quite spectacular. There are some nice spots on the Pacific side I'm sure, but that is where all the industry and population is, so........

Up ahead is Wae Harbour. I would have called it Oda Port, as downtown  Oda City is just a short distance inland, but officially it is Wae,

To teach it I have to cross the mouth of the Shizuma River. My guess is this is the biggest river I have had to cross since starting.

The Wae fishing harbour is also probably the biggest fishing harbour I have encountered since starting.

Lots of powerful lamps on many of the boats as squid fishing is one of the main catches.....

Around a small headland and another fishing harbour, the much smaller one at Toriicho.

Omori Floral

Up in the mountains not far from here is the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Site, and the village of Omori is a large part of it.

Pretty much just one long street in the narrow valley below the mine, Omori is where the samurai, bureaucrats, and merchants lived.

Before it was made a World Heritage site the town was already a Preservation District and so is mostly made up of Edo Period architecture and had the unsightly power poles removed.

All these photos were take on a one kilometer walk down the main street of the town on a May 5th.

While some of the flowers are planted in planters, pots,or in the ground, many others are cut flowers displayed in sections of bamboo tied to drainpipes.

Tsuwano Castle

 

Tsuwano Castle, celebrating the 700th anniversary of its founding this year, 2024, is now mostly ruins.

It is situated on a mountaintop, 200 meters above the town of Tsuwano which was built as a castle town in the early Edo Period.

There are no roads up to the ruins, but three walking trails or a chairlift.

Even after taking the chairlift there is still some walking to the first part of the ruins.

The original castle was started in 1282 shortly after the first Mongol Invasion and was meant to protect against further possible invasions. The Yoshimi Clan controlled the area for more than 300 years.

In essence it was a large fortified mountain ridge with fortifications spread over two kilometers along the ridge.

In the mid 16th century the region was invaded by Sue Harukata and he unsuccessfully besieged the castle for more than 100 days.

In the meantime, the Mori Clan took advantage and attacked the Sue and defeated them at the Battle of Itsukushima

Following the Battle of Sekigahara the Yoshimi were removed from the area and Sakazaki Naomori took over the domain.

It was he were remade the castle into the form it is today and started the construction of the castle town.

He reduced the size of the castle to its central section and modernized it by building most of the stonework that you see today.

In 1619 sakazaki was replaced by the kamei Clan and they held the castle and domain until 1868.

In 1686 the tenshu, keep, was destroyed by a fire caused by lightning and it was never replaced. The Daimyo lived and administered the domain from buildings at the base of the mountain, two of which are still standing.

During the Boshin War the Imperialist forces led by Choshu marched through the valley and the Kamei samurai stayed within the castle and allowed them to pass.

The castle was dismantled in 1874, shortly before the government ordered castles to be dismantled.

Even if you have not much interest in castle ruins, Tsuwano Castle is well worth a visit for the amazing views.

During the late autumn when the weather phenomenon known in Japanese as unkai occurs the castle ruins are above the surrounding valleys filled with clouds much like the much more famous Takeda Castle in Hyogo.

Down below the castle to the south is the Washibara Hachimangu Shrine which has the only purpose-built yabusame, horseback archery, grounds in Japan.

The previous castle I posted on was Hiroshima Castle. The previous post on Tsuwano I posted was on the garden at Yomeiji temple.

Isotake Beach

 

Isotake Port is situated in small bay protected by a headland. On the seaward side of the ports residential area runs a narrow beach.

The beach runs up to a couple of small headlands. In the distance can be seen the Shimane Peninsula that I will reach in a couple of more days walking.

Inland Mount Sanbe is clearly visible. At 1,126 meters, it is the highest point in the former province of Iwami, and is actually classed as an active volcano, but has not erupted in historical times.

Like so much of the coastline of Japan, it has its fair share of concrete tetrapods protecting it, though to be fair on the Japan Sea side we have a lot of natiral coatsline left compared to the Pacific Side.

After these couple of headlands there is a long stretch of somewhat wilder beach.

This is called Isotake Beach and inland of it is the Isotake JR station and an agricultural settlement now cosidered part of Isotake.

The previous post in this series exploring the Sea of Japan coastline was on Isotake Port.